title: Associations between P53 Arg72Pro and development of digestive tract cancers: a meta-analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The relationships between P53 Arg72Pro and risks of digestive tract cancers have been extensively studied, and conclusive results were unavailable.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty three case-control studies were included through searching the databases of Medline, Embase and CNKI (up to August 2010). The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were used to investigate the strength of the associations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed that there were no overall associations between P53 Arg72Pro and risks of digestive tract cancers. Subgroup analyses showed that P53 Arg72Pro was associated with risk of gallbladder and pancreatic cancer (OR [95% CI]: 1.44 [1.13-1.83] for Pro carriers vs. ArgArg). In addition, subgroup analyses also suggested that the Pro allele was associated with increased risks of digestive tract cancers among Asians (1.19 [1.01-1.42] for ProPro vs. ArgArg). Meanwhile, Pro allele was also suggested to be associated with increased risk of gastric cancer (1.33 [1.02-1.74] for ProPro vs. ArgPro for diffuse type of gastric cancer and 1.29 [1.05-1.57] for ProPro vs. Arg carriers for gastric cardia cancer) and colorectal cancer (1.26 [1.05-1.51] for ProPro vs. ArgPro for population-based case-control studies; 1.43 [1.09-1.87] for ProPro vs. ArgArg for colon cancer; 1.49 [1.09-2.06] for ProPro vs. ArgArg for rectal cancer and 2.22 [1.44-3.44] for ProPro vs. ArgArg for early stage of colorectal cancer).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This meta-analysis suggests that Pro allele in P53 Arg72Pro is significantly associated with the increased risks of digestive tract cancers, especially for Asians, and for gastric cancer, colorectal cancer and gallbladder and pancreatic cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province, China.
authors.forename: Liu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Zheng-Ming
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Jiang-Hua
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Shao
mesh_terms: D001120:Arginine / Q000235:genetics*; D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics; D016208:Databases, Factual; D004067:Digestive System Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000235:genetics*; D044465:White People / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D001120:Arginine